2613, December
Jase walked as nonchalantly as he could down the side street, heart pounding in terror. The dim night lights barely lit the main streets, but the side streets were really dark after midnight. He'd just snuck into a casino and swiped a chunk of cash. If he managed to not get caught here, the money would be untraceable. Angela had made sure of that.
But even if he fought to convince himself it was all going to be fine, theft never stopped being a nerve-wracking experience. He did not want to end up in military custody. Even if they insisted they treated prisoners fairly and ethically, Jase couldn't stand the thought of being confined.
He had his hands in his pockets to keep them from visibly shaking. The stick he'd used to steal the cash was in one hand, to make sure he didn't drop it. There was so much to keep track of.
As he turned a corner, he blinked in confusion. There was a kid in front of him. A girl, curled up on the side of the street, staring blankly at the ground.
"You lost, kid?" he asked. The girl didn't respond.
Jase stared at her for a minute, then glanced behind him out of paranoia. No one was following him. He took another look at the kid.
"Hey, respond to me."
She didn't. Her blank eyes just stared at the street, unmoving. She could almost be a corpse. Maybe she was. Jase didn't want to check.
He walked to the end of the street, but couldn't help but glance back at the girl. She looked so empty. And she'd fallen onto her side, drawing circles on the ground with her finger. Not dead. Good for her. None of his business.
Then why was he walking back to her? He left the stick in his pocket and knelt down beside her, putting both hands on the ground to steady himself.
"You got someone I should call?" he asked. "Parents? Foster system?" That got her to look at him. She had pretty eyes, framed by long eyelashes.
"No," she said, so quiet he could barely hear her.
"Then are you going home? What are you doing here at this time of night?"
"Ran away," she replied flatly. He had to strain his ears to hear her voice.
"What, because they took your cellphone away?" Jase asked jokingly. Kids these days could be so spoiled. He'd run into plenty of them.
"Don't have one," she mumbled. "Not allowed."
Wait actually? Jase found himself eating his words as she looked back to the ground.
"Then...what happened?" he asked.
It was none of his business. He had to get the stick back to Angela. If he got caught, things would get very bad very fast. And yet...something in him couldn't leave this girl alone.
The girl didn't say anything for several more circles before her eyes flickered up to him again.
"You're still here?"
"Guess so. Talk to me. I promise I won't call anyone." A faint smile graced her features. She reminded him of a fairy, almost ethereal in her expressions.
"They were fighting again. He tried to touch me. She got mad at me for letting him. Said if it came out, we'd all be screwed. It's my fault for being bad. And I just got adopted. Or something. I don't wanna go back to the foster system. And I don't wanna go back there. I don't like it when they touch me." As if the words had exhausted her, the girl closed her eyes. "I just wanna sleep and never wake up."
A mix of anger and pain welled up in Jase's chest. He knew. He knew so well how terrible parents could be. How problematic the foster system was. He hadn't gotten out until 18, and every moment was painful.
"How old are you, kid?"
"Dunno. Grade Nine." She turned onto her back, laying an arm over her face. "Are you gonna touch me too?"
"Hell no," Jase said indignantly. "You got what, four more years in the system until you're free?"
"Something like that."
"And you keep getting abused?"
She shrugged in response. Jase let out a long sigh.
"Look, I actually know where you're at. I'm not a girl so it probably wasn't as bad for me, but I used to be like you. Except I had a lot more fight in me. You look like you'll just give up and let whatever happens happen."
"If you have fight in you, it's just worse."
"Maybe. But how's this? You come with me. I keep you out of the foster system and away from any deadbeats who wanna pretend to be your parents. And if you want, you can work for me a bit."
"Sex work?" she asked.
"No way! What kind of sicko do you think I am?"
"That makes you a sicko?"
"Hell yes it does!"
Jase forced himself to calm down. This girl seriously needed help. And maybe it was fate that made him cross her path. He could hope someone else did the responsible thing, but from his experience if you wanted the responsible thing done, you had to do it yourself.
"So what kind of work?" Jase looked away.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, but I'm part of a gang. We steal, sometimes kill, whatever it takes to keep ourselves safe. I won't make you do anything you don't want to. But I will take care of you if you want."
She lowered her arm and looked at him with those eyes of hers. Frankly, they'd captivated him from the first time he saw them. Something about the emptiness. He couldn't leave her alone.
"Hey!" An officer's voice echoed down the side street and Jase's heart started pounding again.
"Shit," he muttered under his breath. He checked his pocket. The stick was still there. Damming evidence if there was any. Hopefully this guy was just on routine patrol.
"Excuse me, sir, but I'd like to talk to you a moment," the officer said, stopping in front of him. Jase stood up slowly and nodded.
"What is it, Officer?" He was glad the street was dark. It'd make it harder for the officer to notice the signs of panic setting in.
"A casino around here was just robbed. Do you know anything about it?"
"Sorry to say I don't," Jase replied.
"Would you mind if I checked your pockets?" the officer asked. "Just to make sure you aren't the thief."
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
"I thought you said we were gonna get a midnight snack," the girl suddenly said, standing up and flinging her arms around him. "Bro, I'm hungry."
What was she doing? Jase couldn't help but freak out even more. But the officer turned and addressed the girl.
"Midnight snack?" he asked.
"Yeah. I was hungry, so I asked my brother to take me out for a snack. Then I thought I knew a shortcut and we went here. Then I fell over. I'm really hungry." As if to punctuate the statement, her stomach growled.
"Ah. Sorry, miss. I'd just like to check your brother's pockets real quick if you don't mind. Then I can escort the two of you where you were going."
"Okaaaaay." The girl let go of Jase and flopped against the wall, her eyes half-closed.
"Pockets please, sir. Sorry, just to make sure."
Jase nodded slowly and turned his pockets inside-out. Dreading the moment the officer found the stick. But...
The stick wasn't there.
A different kind of panic seized Jase as he glanced around where the officer's flashlight shone. Where had the stick gone? Shit shit shit!
"Alright, just a cell phone. Thanks for your time," the officer said. "Now where were you going?"
"I wanna go to Red's!" the girl said eagerly, hugging Jase again.
"Sounds good. It's just a block away," the officer said with a smile. "I'll take you."
"Thanks!" The girl grinned broadly. "Come on, Bro." She tugged Jase after the officer as he kept panicking about his missing stick.
A few minutes later they'd made it to the restaurant. Luckily she hadn't asked to go to a bar or Jase would have had to fake a reason why she didn't have ID. Or why her ID would be that of an underage girl. She sat across the table from him, munching on a large plate of fried rice.
"Hey, Bro, what's your name?" she asked through the food, looking at him.
"Oh. I'm Jase," he replied. They were almost completely alone in the restaurant.
"Jase. I like that." She swallowed her food. "You look spooked, Jase."
"Well..." he started. But then the girl grabbed his hand with one of her own and put the other on top of it, her palm to his.
Something was in her hand. She smiled and pulled her hands away, leaving Jase to stare in awe at the missing stick.
"Holy...how did you...?"
"It woulda been bad if Mr. Officer found it right?" she asked. "You take care of me and I'll take care of you. Okay Jase?" The girl put another spoonful of rice in her mouth. Jase stared back at her in amazement. He'd really found something special here. He had no idea she'd pickpocketed him. When had she even?
"Sounds good, kid. By the way, what's your name?" The girl blinked in confusion.
"I guess I forgot to say. I'm June. Thanks for getting me supper. I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday." No wonder she'd looked so worn out. But now she was starting to perk up.
"No worries, June," Jase said with a smile. "You stick with me and we can take care of each other. I won't let anyone hurt you again."
"And I'll help out however I can, Bro!" she replied, grinning so brilliantly Jase almost had to avert his eyes.
And that was how Jase took in June. Before long, she acted as his all-important right hand in the gang. She was the most talented thief he'd ever met. And when she got a Miracle, she truly became an ethereal fairy.
